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Biomedical subjects

F Brunotte

Publications and source records attributed to F Brunotte.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Is NAA reduction in normal contralateral cerebral tissue in stroke patients dependent on underlying risk factors?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This retrospective study investigated the dependence of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) ratios on risk factors for cerebral vasculopathy such as sex, age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, carotid stenosis, and dyslipidaemia, which may have affected brain vessels and induced metabolic brain abnormalities prior to stroke. We hypothesise that in stroke patients metabolic alterations in the apparently normal contralateral brain are dependent on the presence or not of such risk factors. METHODS: Fifty nine patients (31 male, 28 female: 58.8+/-16.1 years old) with cortical middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory infarction were included. Long echo time chemical shift imaging spectroscopy was carried out on a Siemens 1.5 T Magnetom Vision scanner using a multi-voxel PRESS technique. Metabolite ratios (NAA/choline, NAA/creatine, lactate/choline, etc) were studied using uni- and multivariate analyses with respect to common risk factors. The influence of age, stroke lesion size, and time since stroke was studied using a linear regression approach. RESULTS: Age, sex, and hypertension all appeared to individually influence metabolite ratios, although only hypertension was significant after multivariate analysis. In both basal ganglia and periventricular white matter regions in apparently normal contralateral brain, the NAA/choline ratio was significantly lower in hypertensive (1.37+/-0.16 and 1.50+/-0.19, respectively) than in normotensive patients (1.72+/-0.19 and 1.85+/-0.15, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Regarding MCA infarction, contralateral tissue remote from the lesion behaves abnormally in the presence of hypertension, the NAA ratios in hypertensive patients being significantly lower. These data suggest that hypertension may compromise the use of contralateral tissue data as a reference for comparison with ischaemic tissue.

Adult↗

[Role of visual analysis of first-pass contrast-enhanced MRI in reperfused myocardial infarction].

The aim of this work is to evaluate the relationship between improvement of regional myocardial function and visual analysis of contrast-enhanced (CE) MRI in patients after acute myocardial infarction. MRI was performed on 19 patients 1 and 11 weeks after a reperfused acute myocardial infarction. Perfusion data (first-pass images [FPI] and delayed CE images) were acquired after an intravenous bolus of gadolinium-DTPA and visually analyzed using a 17 segment model. Each segment was then classified in 3 groups, according to the presence or absence of FPI and CE patterns at baseline study: group 0: normal-appearing segments; group 1: segments with delayed hyper-enhancement but no early hypo-enhancement; group 2: segments with early hypoenhancement. Relative Wall thickening (RWT) was analyzed in each segment and its improvement evaluated in each group. Between first MRI and follow-up study, a significant improvement of RWT occurred in group 1 (mean +/- SD) [from 43.43 +/- 26.59% to 76.71 +/- 47.38%; p = 0.001] but not in group 2 (from 32.73 +/- 25.58% to 39.57 +/- 30.57%; p = NS). In group 0, RWT despite normal value at baseline study exhibited a significant improvement at follow-up (from 65.23 +/- 46.52% to 79.73 +/- 48.46%; p = 0.0015). In conclusion, the combined analysis of early and delayed perfusion abnormalities in MRI in the week following myocardial infarction can predict myocardial viability and allows in the future an evaluation of the efficacy of perfusion therapy.

Aged↗

[Neuroradiologic emergencies in infectious pathology].

The main goal of urgent imaging evaluation of patients with suspected CNS infection is to differentiate infectious from tumoral or vascular lesions in order to provide appropriate management. MR imaging, including diffusion weighted imaging and spectroscopy, is superior to CT imaging to characterize lesion location and etiology. The CT and MRI features of the more frequent bacterial, viral and parasitic CNS infections will be described.

Brain Abscess↗

[Analysis of variation in delivered dose in diagnostic and therapeutic cerebral angiography].

OBJECTIVES: Analysis of dose-area product (DAP) in cerebral angiography, according to the type of pathology and technique used. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Use of dosimetric and clinical data resulting from 84 diagnostic cerebral angiograms and 32 cerebral embolizations. RESULTS: The diagnostic angiography data were divided into three categories: A/ When a secondarily embolized aneurysm was diagnosed: n=17. B/ When the final diagnosis was an arteriovenous malformation (AVM): n=10. C/ In the case where the diagnosis was neither AVM, nor aneurysm to embolize: n=57. The cerebral embolizations were classified in two sub-groups: K/ When the embolization immediately followed the diagnostic angiogram: n=15. L/ When the embolization of the aneurysm took place 24 to 48H after the angiography: n=17. The mean DAP of group B containing the AVM is higher than mean DAP values in groups A and C, because of the increased cinegraphic time. There is a strong correlation between the duration of the fluoroscopy and the DAP (n=116; r=0.931; p<0.0001). Addition of runs in the group L contributes to the augmentation of the exposure time (significant difference in time: p=0.0054) and thus with the fact that DAP L>DAPK. CONCLUSION: Radiation dose during diagnostic cerebral angiography is increased in the presence of AVM. DAP of embolizations are higher when diagnostic and therapeutic phases are separated in time.

Adult↗

Left ventricular ejection fraction calculation from automatically selected and processed diastolic and systolic frames in short-axis cine-MRI.

The calculation of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is dependent upon the accurate measurement of diastolic and systolic left ventricular volumes. Although breath-hold cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows coverage of the whole cardiac cycle with an excellent time resolution, many authors rely on the visual selection of diastolic and the systolic short-axis slices in order to reduce the postprocessing time. An automatic method was developed to detect the endocardial contour on each image, allowing an automatic selection of the systolic frame. The calculated ejection fraction was compared with radionuclide ventriculography (RNV). Sixty-five patients were examined using an electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated gradient echo sequence. Among these examinations, manual and automatic processing with MRI were compared when the time of the systolic frame concorded. Good correlations have been found between the automatic MRI approach and RNV, and between manual and automatic processing on MRI alone. The results show that the automatic determination of the ejection fraction is feasible, and should constitute an important step toward a larger acceptance of MRI as a routine tool in heart disease imaging. One major benefit of using automatic postprocessing is that it may eliminate the visual choice of the systolic frame, inaccurate in more than 50% of the studied patients.

Adult↗

[Magnetic resonance imaging early after acute myocardial infarction. A visual analysis of myocardial perfusion based on a 17 segment model].

Magnetic resonance imaging allows an accurate calculation of the left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular volumes. Additionally, it makes possible to assess myocardial perfusion after gadolinium chelate injection. Late after the injection, the presence of a myocardial hyper-enhancement can be visualized. The present study has used the 17 segment standardized nomenclature for tomographic imaging of the heart as recommended for all cardiac imaging modalities. Sixty nine patients were studied after a revascularised myocardial infarction. All patients had Timi grade 3 flow in the infarct-related artery after therapy. Regional and global function was studied using cine MR short axis slices. The gadolinium chelate first pass was scored using a 5 level scale reflecting the transmural extent of the segmental myocardial enhancement. The delayed enhancement due to gadolinium accumulation in the myocardium 10 min post injection was scored in the same manner. Left ventricular ejection fraction was 51 +/- 13%. Segmental thickening parameters (systolic thickness, absolute thickening and relative thickening) appeared statistically related to the hypoperfusion and delayed enhancement scores. Absolute myocardial thickening varied from 4.8 +/- 2.7 mm in the myocardial segments free of any delayed enhancement to 2.4 +/- 2.1 mm in segments presenting with a transmural extent of the delayed hyper-enhancement. Scores obtained after gadolinium injection were also well correlated with the global left ventricular function (r = 0.65, p < 0.01 for late enhancement). Magnetic resonance imaging of the heart allows a precise characterisation of revascularised myocardium which makes this technique very attractive for evaluating the treatments designed to improve myocardial microperfusion.

Acute Disease↗

[Early study of myocardial perfusion with MRI in revascularized infarcts].

The aim of this work is to study the regional myocardial perfusion by MRI early after revascularised myocardial infarction and to compare it with regional function. This prospective work has included 15 patients with acute first myocardial infarction that was precociously revascularised. A myocardial MRI was performed between D2 and D10 after myocardial infarction. The regional myocardial thickening was evaluated from cine-MRI sequences. For the study of myocardial perfusion, the first pass of the contrast agent was analysed from curves of the signal evolution versus time. The signal enhancement on late images acquired 10 minutes after the perfusion of the contrast agent was also evaluated. Among 384 studied myocardial segments, those with a normal gadolinium first pass curve had a relative thickening of 46 +/- 38%. The segments with a severely reduced first pass kinetic have a markedly reduced relative thickening (14 +/- 20%) in relation with myocardial hypoperfusion. The myocardial enhancement is frequently seen in the infarct territory and appears related to a reduced regional contractility. The myocardium is enhanced on late images in 12% of the normally perfused segments. These segments have a mildly reduced wall thickening (3.36 +/- 2.84 mm vs 4.42 +/- 2.83 mm). The segmental contractility in a reperfused myocardial infarction appears to depend both on the myocardial perfusion which reflects the microvascularisation and on the myocardial enhancement which is linked to myocardial structural alterations. MRI appears to be an adequate method to evaluate these abnormalities and allows an easy assessment of the no-reflow phenomenon, if present.

Adult↗

[Spontaneous hyperdense intracranial vessels seen on CT scan in polycythemia cases].

PURPOSE: A better understanding of the significance of diffuse hyperdensity affecting the circle of Willis and the dural sinuses on unenhanced CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 19 patients with a neurological manifestation and a CT scan without contrast injection. Among these 19 patients, six had been included because of primary or secondary polycythemia. The analysis of cerebral CT scans was made qualitatively by visual inspection and quantitatively. RESULTS: In patients with a hematocrit percentage exceeding 60%, both circle of Willis and dural sinuses were dense on unenhanced CT scans. A linear relation between the hemoglobin level and the contrast of the dural sinuses compared with the grey matter was observed with an excellent correlation (r = 0.934; n < 0.0001; p = 19). CONCLUSION: Increased density of cerebral vessels on unenhanced CT is a sign of a high hemoglobin level.

Adult↗

Long-term prognostic value of 201Tl single-photon emission computed tomographic myocardial perfusion imaging after coronary stenting.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of (201)Tl myocardial imaging has been demonstrated in several studies concerning patients with a known significant coronary artery disease. However, the evolution of a coronary stenosis after stenting is difficult to predict. This study was designed to assess the prognostic value of (201)Tl single-photon emission computed tomography (thallium SPECT) perfusion imaging in patients after intracoronary stenting. METHODS: One hundred fifty-two patients were studied. They were followed up during 40 +/- 13 (mean +/- SD) months after thallium SPECT. Stent-related events were studied after thallium stress testing and included cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and revascularization. Stress thallium imaging was performed 5 +/- 2 months after stenting, and ischemia was considered to be present if at least 2 contiguous segments were showing reversible defects. RESULTS: Only 3 (3%) among the 105 nonischemic patients had major cardiac events during the follow-up versus 13 (28%) of the 47 ischemic patients (P < .001) after thallium SPECT. The relative risk of major cardiac events for patients with significant ischemia was 10.5 compared with nonischemic patients (P < .001). Fourteen (30%) of the ischemic patients and 8 (8%) among the nonischemic patients underwent iterative revascularization (P < .001). Therefore, only 11 (10%) of the nonischemic patients had major cardiac events or revascularization compared with 24 (51%) of the ischemic patients (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Absence of ischemia on thallium SPECT imaging at 5 months after coronary stenting indicates a low risk for cardiovascular events or interventional procedure. These results may have important clinical implications in patient treatment.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗

[Magnetic resonance imaging of dilatation of the ascending aorta after repair of coarctation of the aorta].

The authors studied the risk factors for dilatation of the ascending aorta in patients operated for coarctation of the aorta. A prospective study of the diameters of the ascending aorta by magnetic resonance imaging was undertaken in 46 patients with an average age of 30 months (range 6 days to 11 years) at surgery, and 10 years of age (6 months to 31 years) at the time of the investigation. The diameters were measured at the level of the sinus of Valsalva, at the sino-tubular junction, and compared with reference tables with respect to body surface area. Twenty six per cent of patients had dilatation of the ascending aorta. The predisposing factors were investigated. Age, type of surgery, postoperative hypertension. Doppler gradient in the isthmic region, anatomical appearances of the repair observed by MRI were not predictive of this complication. On the other hand, age of patients at MRI and bicuspid aortic valves (present in 66% of cases) (p < 0.05) were significant risk factors. These results indicate that regular follow-up by echocardiography or MRI of the diameter of the ascending aorta is necessary in patients operated for coarctation of the aorta and with bicuspid aortic valves.

Age Factors↗

Multi-variate analysis predicts clinical outcome 30 days after middle cerebral artery infarction.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To evaluate the functional prognostic value of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy performed within the 5 days of an infarction of the middle cerebral artery territory, compared with previously demonstrated prognostic factors. METHODS: Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed on 77 consecutive non-comatosed patients during the acute stage of middle cerebral artery infarction. The functional status was determined for each patient via the Orgogozo score. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic data were acquired in the infarction and in contra-lateral normal tissue and the results were expressed as metabolite ratios. Correlations were evaluated between the Orgogozo score at day 1 and day 30, the age, the sex, the volume of the infarction, and the metabolic ratios. RESULTS: In a monovariate analysis, the decrease of the NAA/choline ratio was correlated with a low Orgogozo score at days 1 and 30 (P<0.05) and with a large infarction (P<0.05). A stepwise analysis showed a significant relationship between the Orgogozo score at day 30 and the Orgogozo score at day 1, the sex, the volume of infarction, and the NAA/Cho ratio within the infarction. CONCLUSIONS: Our work demonstrates that a good clinical outcome at day 30 depends on a good initial clinical score at day 1, a small volume of infarction, a small decrease of NAA/Cho, and being of the female gender.

Adult↗

Correlation between inter-ictal regional cerebral blood flow and sphenoidal electrodes--recorded inter-ictal spikes in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

The objective of this study was to assess the reliability of the diagnosis of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy using EEG and sphenoidal electrodes. Inter-ictal 99 m Tc-HMPAO SPECT scans were registered in 21 patients with confirmed mesial temporal lobe epilepsy identified by scalp EEG and sphenoidal electrodes. Visual and quantitative SPECT analysis was performed blind to EEG data. An asymmetry index (AI) was measured from the ratio of two symmetrical regions of interest. A temporal lobe hypoperfusion was defined as an uptake reduced by 5% with respect to the contralateral region. Inter-ictal SPECT abnormalities were observed in 12 out of 21 patients (57%) from both visual and quantitative analysis (focal hypoperfusion in 11 cases, focal hyperperfusion in one case). In seven patients (33%) both visual and quantitative scintigraphy were normal. Abnormal AI was found in 11/15 patients with a high frequency of seizures and in 1/6 patients with a low frequency of seizures. The major data is that the probability to have an abnormal SPECT is statistically correlated to the frequency of the epileptic fits. The couple EEG recordings with sphenoidal electrodes and SPECT is sensitive and reliable in the diagnosis of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Adolescent↗

[The best of non-invasive cardiac imaging in 1999].

The term non-invasive and non-echographic myocardial imaging is used to describe the advances in nuclear cardiology and magnetic resonance imaging underlying the most recent developments in investigating the myocardium. The value of new techniques such as rapid CT scan and cardiological applications of the synchroton are described. The main clinical applications of these techniques in the present and future are reviewed, especially with regards to ischaemic heart disease.

Humans↗

The time course of haemodynamic, autonomic and skeletal muscle metabolic abnormalities following first extensive myocardial infarction in man.

We investigated the time course of genesis of skeletal muscle dysfunction and sympatho-vagal imbalance after myocardial infarction. We studied 22 normal controls, 22 patients with >6 months stable chronic heart failure and 10 patients after a first massive myocardial infarction at 1-3 weeks (the "early" period), 6-8 weeks ("mid") and 6-9 months ("late") following their infarct. Four patients developed overt heart failure. Forearm muscle metabolism was studied using (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Sympatho-vagal balance was assessed by heart rate variability and radiolabelled norepinephrine kinetics. Increased norepinephrine spillover (0.55+/-0.02 v 0.27+/-0.04 mg/min/m(2); P<0.01) and decreased heart rate variability were confined to those post-myocardial infarction patients who subsequently developed heart failure. Resting cardiac output was normal in all the post-myocardial infarction patients, although the response of cardiac output to supine bicycle exercise at the "mid" study point was less in the group who subsequently developed heart failure (9+/-1 v 41+/-8 %; P<0.005). In the MRS studies, there were no detectable differences between those who did or did not develop heart failure. The initial rate of ATP turnover, calculated from initial-exercise changes in pH and phosphocreatine (PCr), was increased in established chronic heart failure, but in the post-myocardial infarction patients a numerically similar increase reached statistical significance only in the early group (19+/-3 v 11+/-1 mM/min; P<0.005). The apparent maximum rate of oxidative ATP synthesis, calculated from post-exercise PCr recovery kinetics, was lower than control in the late post-myocardial infarction and established chronic heart failure groups 34+/-5 v 55+/-4 mM/min; P<0.03 and 38+/-3 v 55+/-4 mM/min; P<0.003, respectively). Skeletal muscle metabolism and autonomic function become abnormal after an extensive myocardial infarction. While skeletal muscle abnormalities are relatively slow to develop and unrelated to the degree of failure, excessive neurohormonal activation and impaired cardiac output response to exercise seem from an early stage to characterize patients who subsequently develop chronic heart failure.

Adult↗

Cerebral metabolism after transient ischemic attack. A 1H MR spectroscopy study.

Metabolic changes induced by cerebral infarction or by stenosis and occlusion of the internal carotid artery have been previously described in 1H Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H MRS). These changes are essentially characterized by decreased N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) and increased lactate concentration. Little is known about the metabolic changes observed in the three days following a transient ischemic attack (TIA), in the absence of stenosis or occlusion of the internal carotid artery, and without visible infarction on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). We studied five patients with a TIA lasting between 30 min and 3 h, affecting the sensory and motor functions of the brachio-facial territory with or without aphasia. A Computerized Tomography Scan (CT-scan), an electro-encephalogram, cervical Doppler ultrasound and MRI with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy were performed on the affected cerebral area and on the normal contralateral homologous cerebral area within three days of the onset of TIA. None of the five patients had stenosis or occlusion of the internal carotid artery on Doppler ultrasound, or cerebral infarction on MRI. From 1H MRS ratio measurements, we did not observe any significant changes in the NAA/Creatine ratio. However, a rise in Lactate/Creatine ratio was observed in the symptomatic non-infarcted area compared with the normal cerebral tissue. During the first three days following a transient ischemic attack, there is an increase in lactate production. This change may reflect transient local hypoperfusion which could be long enough to stimulate lactate production, but short enough not to induce infarction. This region could be at risk from infarction in the long term.

Aged↗